From Walls to Roofs (2024-04)¶

The dwindling availability of construction material resources poses a significant challenge that calls for innovative solutions to address material scarcity and waste. In response to this challenge, this research paper sets out to leverage the potential of computational design and robotic additive manufacturing to explore avenues for sustainable construction practices. At the intersection of ancient principles for Nubian vault brick construction and contemporary methods of additive manufacturing, this paper introduces a large-scale architectural experiment to reimagine the additive construction process by harnessing the untapped potential of non-planar 3D printing. This research explores the feasibility of constructing an architecturescale Nubian vault using 3D-printed adobe. The objective is to bridge the gap between traditional building techniques and robotic manufacturing processes, demonstrating the adaptability and sustainability of ancient architectural principles on the material and structural levels, in the context of contemporary construction practices. The experiment focuses on replicating the distinctive structural qualities of the ancient Nubian vault, explicitly its self-supporting arches, into non-planar large-scale 3D printing, shedding light on some of the challenges associated with toolpath design, material mixtures, and drying times. The paper highlights an iterative research process, where various geometric configurations are first tested on a smaller scale before progressing to the construction of an architecture-scale prototype. The small-scale experiments, made of 3D-printed clay, allowed for the exploration of different vault and dome geometries and parameter optimisation to ensure structural stability. The insight gained from the preliminary experiments informed the successful realisation of a full-scale Nubian vault utilising locally sourced adobe as a viable alternative to 3D-printed clay, creating a sustainable and culturally significant large-scale prototype. Moreover, the experiment demonstrates the utilisation of self-sufficient, mobile industrial robotic 3D printing and pumping platforms, enabling a sustainable workflow that encompasses the gathering of locally sourced materials. By leveraging this integrated approach, the research